Oil well packer construction



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 m fii w /w/ fl/ n M a 4 M m w, M m m 6 June 25, 1968 E. BURNS OIL WELL PACKER CONSTRUCTION June 25, 1968 E. BURNS I 3,389,918

OIL WELL PACKER CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 1, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 25, 1968 E. BURNS OIL WELL PACKER CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb.

United States Patent 3,389,918 OIL WELL PACKER CQNSTRUCTION Erwin Burns, Los Angeles, Calif. (8346 Salt Lake Ave, Bell, Calif. 90201) Filed Feb. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 536,202 11 Qlaims. (Cl. 277116.4)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention has to do with an oil tool and is more particularly concerned with an improved oil well packer construction.

In the art of oil production, well bores are drilled through the earths formation into an oil producing zone; the well bores are lines and/or supported by steel casings, which casings are sealed in and with the surrounding formation as by means of cement, or the like. A string of production tubing is lowered into and through the casing and is provided at its lower end with a perforated liner or screen which depends from the production tubing into the production zone. A pump is lowered into and is seated at the lower end of the production tubing and serves to move oil from within the liner, upwardly through the tubing and to the surface of the well structure.

In following the above procedure, it is necessary that the annulus between the tubing and the casing, at the lower end portion of the tubing and casing, be sealed or packed olf so as to prevent water and the like, occurring in the said annulus above the open lower end of the casing and above the production, from flowing into the production zone and imposing undesired hydrostatic heads of pressure thereon, as well as to prevent the escape of gas and/ or production fluid up through said annulus.

Accordingly, it is common practice to provide packer constructions between a casing and a related production tubing, at the lower ends thereof.

Another typical situation where packer constructions are employed is where a casing of reduced diameter is joined with a previously set, larger diameter casing to depend and extend downwardly into a well bore therefrom. In such situations, it is necessary to establish a seal between the two unsimilar sized casings, at their points of jointure.

The art of oil well packers is extremely old and highly developed. Typical packer constructions involve rubber, fiuid pressure actuated, annular packer cups fixed to production tubing strings and/or special production tools, such as liner hangers. Such rubber cup-type packers engage and seal with the inner walls of their related casings. Other packer constructions involve expansible rubber sleeves related to special tools, such as liner hangers, casing hangers and the like, which sleeves are expanded into sealing engagement with and between their related structures when the tool with which they are related are actuated and/ or set. Yet another form or type of packer construction involves an annular body of soft and malleable lead, which takes the place of or is used instead of an annular body of rubber, as set forth above.

In recent years, the oil production art has made noticeable advancements in secondary recovery, that is, in the art of stimulating the flow and obtaining increased production from oil producing formations which were previously considered exhausted or so depleted that production was no longer economical 0r feasible. The most recent and most effective methods employed in secondary recovery have involved the thermal treatment of the oil bearing formation or sands, that is, heating the production formation or sands by the injection of super-heated steam into said formations or by igniting and maintaining combustion of gas and/or production fluid in the formation. Both of these methods result in heating the sands and the production and induce the free flow of production.

In both of the above-noted methods of inducting the flow of production fluid, the heat is applied intermittently, that is, the steam is injected into the production zone, or the combustion is maintained in the production zone for predetermined periods of time. When it is determined that sufiicient heat has been generated and absorbed by the formation, the flow of steam is shut off or the combustion is extinguished and the wells are produced continously and until the effect of the heating is spent, whereupon production is shut otf and the heating operation is repeated.

At least two major and serious difficulties have developed as a result of thermal treatment of wells, as set forth above, which are:

One the temperatures generated are greater than ordinary or conventional packer constructions can withstand; and,

Two, the heating and cooling effect experienced in carrying out such methods results in expansion and contraction of the casings and tubings, which expansions and contraction is manifested in relative longitudinal shifting of the lower end of the tubing relative to the casing. Such shifting can vary from several inches to several feet, depending upon the particular well structure.

The above-noted relative shifting between the lower ends of the casings and tubings is a factor not previously encountered and a factor which ordinary or conventional packer constructions are not designed for and which they cannot withstand.

The heat factor above noted is also destructive or highly detrimental to existing packer constructions, as the temperatures encountered are frequently well above the maximum temperatures which rubber or synthetic rubber compounds can withstand and well above the melting point of lead.

As a result of the inability of available packer constructions to withstand the temperatures and the relative working of the tubings and casings encountered in thermal treated oil wells, such treatment of wells has been materially restricted and cannot be taken full advantage of.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel packer construction which is such that it is not adversely aifected by and can advantageously withstand the temperatures and relative movement of parts encountered in thermally treated well structures.

Another object of my invention is to provide a circumfere ntially and radially expandable copper sealing and/ or packing ring which is such that it can be advantageously expanded to establish a fluid tight seal in an annulus defined by a well casing and a string of production tubing, with related production tubes.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a novel means for expanding an expansible copper packing ring into sealing engagement with related Well structure.

It is to be noted that, while copper is highly malleable and ductile, it has an extremely low modulus of elasticity and is such that when drawn or stretched it readily ruptures and parts. As a result, a circumferentially and radially expansible copper packing ring, such as here provided, must be such that it can be caused to flow and shift into desired sealing form and condition without being drawn or stretched in such a manner as will result in arting and rupturing of the copper mass and resulting failure as a seal.

It is an object of my invention to provide a copper sealing or packing ring and actuating means therefor, which are such that the copper mass is not tensioned or drawn in such a manner as to result in rupturing of the material, but which effectively urges the copper mass radially and circumferentially in such a manner as to establish an effective and dependable seal.

As a result of the highly malleable and ductile characteristics of copper, copper can be advantageously urged into intimate and sealing contact with opposing, irregular surfaces. However, due to its relative low tensile strength and low shear strength, it will readily result in a mechanical transfer of material onto and opposing irregular surface upon relative movement between the copper mass and such a surface. Such transfer of material is effective to establish an opposing copper sealing surface upon which the copper mass can subsequently freely shift without further transfer of material or reduction of the primary mass of copper.

It is an object of this invention to provide an annular copper packing ring having a conical bore adapted to cooperatively receive an axially shiftable expander cone.

It is another object of my invention to provide an annular ring and cone assembly of the character referred to wherein the ring is split to define axially extending circumferentially and axially spaced free gaps and circumferentially extending, axially disposed and opposing seal ing surfaces between said free gaps.

Another object of this invention is to arrange the circumferentially extending, axially disposed and opposing sealing surfaces of the split copper packer ring and the portions of the free gaps adjacent thereto intermediate the ends of the conical bore in the ring, whereby the wedging action of the expander cone urges the sealing surfaces into tight sealing engagement with each other when the ring is expanded and the cone is urged axially therethrough.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of typical preferred forms and applications of my invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal elevational view showing my new packer ring construction related to a liner hanger and positioned in a well structure preparatory to being actuated into sealing engagement;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1 and showing it in an actuated position;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section view of the structure taken substantially as indicated by line 33 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially as indicated by line 4-4 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded isometric view showing portions of my new construction;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken as indicated by line 66 on FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially as indicated by line 77 on FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially as indicated by line 8-8 on FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially as indicated by line 99 on FIG. 4;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of a casing bowl construction with a sealing structure as provided by the present invention related thereto;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 and showing the casing bowl structure and its related seal in another or actuated position; and,

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a portion of the packer or seal construction provided in the first form of the invention.

Referring particularly to the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9 of the drawings, 10 indicates a well casing which is set within a well bore 11 and Within which a liner hanger 12 is mounted. The liner hanger is shown as including a stem 13 which is threaded into the lower end of a drill pipe joint 14. The stem is square in cross-section and has a lower threaded end 15 which threadedly receives a nut 16. The nut 16 is internally threaded as at 17 and, in practice, receives the threaded end of a suitable length of tubing through which circulating fluid or cement may be forced downwardly into the liner, when the well is being established. The square stem 13 extends through a liner nut 18 of the setting tool. This nut has a central bore of square, cross-section, as indicated at 19, and through which the stem 13 may slide longitudinally while positively engaging the nut to impart rotation thereto. The exterior surface of the lower cylindrical portion of the liner nut is formed with square lefthand threads 20. The upper portion of the nut is cylindrical, as indicated at 21. The upper end of this cylindrical portion is threaded at 23 to receive an annular bearing nut 24. The bearing nut 24 has a lower shoulder forming a ball race 25 which rests on on annular bearing 26. The bearing 26 is shown as a typical anti-friction ball bearing construction. The bearing rests upon the upper end face of the sleeve 27 of the setting tool. The sleeve 27 is cylindrical and is formed at its lower end with a conical face 28. A cylindrical bore 29 is formed in the sleeve and the sleeve has a running fit with the upper cylindrical portion 21 of the nut 18. The lower end of the sleeve is machined or turned down and forms a square shoulder 30 which rests against a shoulder 31 at the upper end of the threaded section 20 of the nut. This restrains the sleeve 27 from longitudinal movement upon the extension 21 of the nut 18.

Extending downwardly from the sleeve 27 are a plurality of circumferentially spaced slip-engaging fingers 32, which fingers are mounted on the outer circumference of the sleeve 27 and overlie the threaded portion 20 of the nut 18, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

Three fingers are here shown and their purpose will hereinafter be described.

The liner hanger is shown as including a tubular body 34, which is internally threaded at its upper end, as indicated at 35. The threads 35 are complementary to the threads 20 on the nut 18. The upper end of the body 34 is formed with a seat 36, the inner peripheral portion of which opposes the shoulder 30 of the sleeve 27. Slidably mounted upon the tubular body member 34 is a slip barrel 37. The slip barrel 37 is provided with a radially inwardly projecting flange 38 at its upper end, which flange engages the seat 30 at the upper end of the body 35 and prevents downwardly shifting and displacement of the slip barrel on the body 34. The barrel is further provided with a radially outwardly and upwardly inclined seat 38' in and upon which the face 28 of the sleeve 27 normally seats and stops. Formed within the cylindrical outer face of the slip barrel 37 are guideways 40 which receive wickered slips 41. The wickered slips 41 are designed to move upwardly and outwardly in the guideways 40. A plurality of springs 42 are mounted in the barrel at the heel of the slips to normally yieldingly urge the slips upwardly in the guideways. The upper end of each siip is formed with a finger 43, which finger is slidably engaged in a longitudinal slot 44 provided in the exterior of the barrel adjacent the guideway 44 in which the related slip is engaged. The fingers 32 and 44 are in longitudinal and axial alignment when the sleeve 27 is in its lowermost position. The fingers 32 engage the fingers 43 and force the slips downwardly in their related guideways 40 and hold them retracted so that they will not grip the wall of the casing 10, until they are released.

The lower end of the slip barrel 37 is internally threaded as indicated at 45. The lower end of the barrel threadedly receives the upper end of a packer cage 46. The packer cage 46 is shown as having a substantially cylindrical upper body portion 47 and an enlarged lower collar portion 48. The body portion is cut away at intervals about its circumference to establish elongate slot-like apertures 49 therein and to define longitudinal wall portions 50 between the said apertures. The upper end of the cylin drical portion 47 is externally threaded as indicated at 51 and is threadedly engaged into the threaded bore of the slip barrel 37. It will be seen that the enlarged collar portion 48 is of a diameter greater than the cylindrical body portion 47 and cooperates therewith to establish a radially outwardly and substantially vertically disposed shoulder 52.

Engaged around the body portion 47 of the cage is an elongate packer sleeve 53. The details of the packer sleeve 53 will be more fully described in the following.

It will be apparent from a study of the drawings, that the packer sleeve is cylindrical and is normally equal in outside diameter with the enlarged collar portion of the cage.

The length of the packer sleeve is such as to assure space between its upper end and the lower end of the slip barrel (when the sleeve is seated on the shoulder 52) to receive an annular actuating ring 54. The actuating ring 54 is shown as including an annular cylindrical upper portion 55, the outer diameter of which is equal with the outer diameter of the slip barrel and enlarged collar portion of the cage, and therefore equal with the outside diameter of the packer sleeve when said sleeve is in its normal position. The actuating ring is further provided with an annular downwardly convergent expander or cone portion 56, which portion is slidably engaged about the exterior of the upper body portion of the cage. In addition to the foregoing, the actuating ring is further provided with ci'rcumferentially spaced, radially inwardly projecting arcuate lugs 57 fixed to and carried by the upper portion 55.

The lugs 57 fit into the upper ends of the slot Openings or apertures 49 in the packer cage and have their inner portions fixed to the exterior of the body, as by welding.

In addition to the foregoing, the construction shown is provided with a suitable sealing means S at the lower end of the packer cage 46, below the packer sleeve 53 and adapted to establish a fluid tight seal between the cage and the body and thereby prevent the flow of fluid upwardly between the casing and the body, passed the packer sleeve, after the construction has shown actuated.

In the particular case illustrated, the sealing means S is shown as including a downwardly opening socket 70 entering the lower end of the enlarged collar 48 at the lower end of the cage and through which the body 34 extends, an annular body of deformable sealing material 71 engaged in and seated on the bottom of the socket 70 and slidably receiving the body 34, and an annular follower nut 72 slidably engaged about the body and threadedly engaged into the socket from the open bottom end thereof and adapted to be advanced into the socket and to engage the packing 71 urging it into tight sealing engagement with the body.

The other or lower end of the body 34 extends downwardly below the gauge 46 a desired distance and is externally threaded as at 59 to receive a coupling collar 60, into which is threaded the upper end of a perforated liner 61.

Referring now to the packer sleeve 53 and its particular construction and relationship with those other elements of the tool with which it is directly related, the ring or sleeve 53 is a unitary, cast and suitably machined part formed of pure, annealed, soft, ductile and malleable copper. The exterior of the sleeve has a straight cylindrical outer surface 80, which surface is coextensive with the longitudinal extent of the sleeve. The interior of the sleeve is provided with or defines a straight, cylindrical bore 81 in its lower end portion, which bore normally slidably engages about the lower end portion of the upper portion 47 of the cage 46 and a downwardly convergent conical upper bore 82, which conical bore converges with and terminates at the upper end of the bore 81. In the preferred carrying out of the invention, the bore 81 extends less than one-quarter the longitudinal extent of the sleeve and the bore 82 extends more than the three-quarters the length of the sleeve, as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

The lower end of the sleeve defines a fiat, annular, downwardly disposed stop surface '83, which surface opposes 6 and seats on the shoulder 52 defined by the upper end of the lower enlarged portion 48 of the cage.

The upper end of the sleeve 53 defines a fiat annular upwardly disposed stop shoulder 84 which opposes a flat, annular downwardly disposed shoulder 85, defined by the outer peripheral portion of the upper portion 55 of the actuating ring 54.

The packer sleeve is further provided with a circumferentially extending slot 86, of limited circumferential extent and with upper and lower axially extending slots 87 and 88, which axially extending slots are in circumferential spaced relationship with each other and occur at the opposite ends of and communicate with the circumferentially extending slot 86.

The slot 86 is established as narrow as is possible and defines a pair of flat, axially disposed, opposed sealing surfaces 89.

The slots 87 and 88 are normally closed and are such as to permit circumferential expansion of the sleeve and the establishment of circumferentially spaced upper and lower free gaps X in the sleeve when the construction is actuated and to permit or allow for circumferential relative shifting of the sealing surfaces 89.

The slot 86 and/ or its defined sealing surfaces 89 are arranged axially of the sleeve to occur intermediate or spaced between the upper and lower ends of the upper conical bore 82 in the sleeve.

The lower conical expander or cone portion 56 of the actuating ring 54 is inclined or pitched at the same angle as the upper conical bore 82 is in the sleeve and is greater in longitudinal extent than the said bore, whereby its upper end is .greater in diametric extent than the upper major diameter of the taper bore. The increased "or additional diametric extent of the cone is slightly greater than the radial extent of the annulus between the tool, or normal outside diameter of the sleeve and the inside diameter of the related casing 10 whereby the sleeve is urged radially outwardly into tight sealing engagement with the casing and is thereafter compacted radially between the cone and the casing, when the construction is actuated, as by axial downwardly shifting of the cone portion of the ring relative to the sleeve.

It is to be noted that the cone portion of the actuating ring is less in longitudinal extent than the sleeve and is such that when the construction is actuated, the lower end of the cone terminates within the lower bore 81 of the sleeve and in spaced relationship above the shoulder 52 of the cage. Accordingly, downward shifting of the cone is not limited or stopped by the shoulder 52 defined by the lower enlarged portion of the cage. This relationship of parts gives rise to or the necessity for the lower portion of the sleeve through which the bore 81 extends and which is not directly acted upon by the cone.

In practice and as illustrated, the slot-like apertures 49 in the cage 46 are of sutficient longitudinal extent to afford the necessary axial shifting of the ring 54 and its related lugs 57, but terminate above the lower end of the cone portion 56 of the ring, when the construction is in its normal or unactuated position.

In practice, the cage 46 can, as illustrated, be provided with an annular radially outwardly opening sealing ring groove 99 below the apertures 48 and in which a sealing ring 91 is engaged. In practice, an O-ring established of a high temperature resistant silicone rubber might be advantageously employed, or a tubular steel O-ring type sealing element might be advantageously employed.

The sealing ring 91 serves to seal between the interior of the ring 54 and the cage and to effectively prevent the flow and escape of fluids or gases therebetween, in either direction.

In ope-ration of the present invention, and when the liner hanger is assembled and set in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 of the drawings, it is ready to be run into the well bore 11. It is to be pointed out that in the event the lower end of the packer cage 46 should strike an object or meet resistance while being lowered into the casing, it will in no way elfect the tool and the tool will remain in its set assembled position, since the packer 46 is directly connected to the slip barrel, in turn the threaded connection 35, and the slip barrel, in turn, is held against longitudinal movement by means of the sleeve which is held by the hanger nut 18. It will be seen that no amount of thrust on the lower end of the cage 46 will ever deform the packer sleeve 53.

When the structure is lowered into the well, the liner 61 is engaged with and depends freely from the lower end of the liner hanger body 34. Due to the length of the stem 13, it is possible for the hanger to have considerable longitudinal movement on the stem so that the hanger and liner may be manipulated sufiiciently to facilitate the handling of the table slips and the other means used at the surface of the well. When the liner has reached the desired point in the well, rotation of the drill pipe 14 to the right will impart similar rotation to the stem 13 and will result in positive rotation of the hanger nut 18.

The nut will then advance longitudinally upwardly. This movement will correspondingly move the sleeve 27 upwardly due to the abutting engagement of the shoulders 30 and 31. As previously explained, the sleeve 27 carries the fingers 32. The fingers 32 will move upwardly and away from their abutting engagement with the fingers 43 carried by and projecting upwardly from the wickered slips 41. This permits the springs 42 at the heel of the slips to force the slips upwardly and radially outwardly into engagement with the inner face or surface of the casing 10 engaged in the well bore 11. At this time the sleeve 27 is held against rotation due to the fact that the fingers 32 on the sleeve extend into the longitudinal slots 44 provided in the slip barrel 37. When relative rotation takes place between the nut 18 and the sleeve 27, the antifriction bearing 26 serves to reduce frictional resistance. When the slips 41 engage the wall of the casing with sufficient force to hold the hanger in position and the nut 18 is further rotated and shifted out of engagement from the body 34, the weight of the liner is transmitted directly onto the actuating ring 4 through the body. This weight is imposed by the ring 54 upon the packer sleeve 53 to expand it radially outwardly and compact it radially into tight sealing engagement between the cone portion of the ring and the casing and to compact it axially between the shoulders 52 and 85, which axial compaction causes further radial flow of the material and urges the sealing surfaces 89 established by the slot 86 in the ring, into tight sealing engagement with each other. The wedging action of the actuating ring cone ellectively urges the upper sealing surface 89 axially downwardly into tight sealing engagement with the lower sealing surface 89 to supplement the compressive forces exerted between the above-mentioned stop shoulders and to establish greater and increased sealing pressure between said sealing surfaces.

When the construction is actuated and set in the manner described above, the body 34 shifts downwardly through the packing cage 47.

It will be apparent that the sealing means S at the lower end of the cage and the sealing ring 91 between the cone portion of the rin and cage in no way interrupts the operation of the device and suitably seals between the cage and the body and between the actuating ring and the cage, after the construction is set.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. and 11 of the drawings, I have shown my new copper packer sleeve construction employed in a casing bowl, that is, a tool employed to repair a damaged casing by, in elfect, splicing two sections of a casing, from which a section has been removed, together.

The casing bowl illustrated includes an elongate, tubular body 90 having a central bore 91, the upper end of which threadedly receives the lower end of the upper portion of the string of casing 92, which has been severed from the casing string which was previously set in the well and from which a damaged portion has been removed. The lower end of the body is open to freely receive the upper end of the lower portion 93 of the casing which is set in the well.

Arranged within the body is an annular packing sleeve 94, the lower end of which is seated on an annular axially upwardly disposed shoulder 95' in the lower por tion of the body. The sleeve 94 is similar to the sleeve in the first form of the invention, except that the straight, cylindrical surface is extending through the sleeve and is disposed radially inwardly in order to engage and seal about the exterior of the lower section 93 of the casing and the conical or inclined surface 96, rather than the inside and defined by a bore, occurs about the upper exterior portion of the sleeve.

Further, since this form of sleeve is designed to work in reverse from the first form of the invention, that is, since it constricted or contracted into sealing engagement with the casing section with which it is related, the free gaps established by the circumferentially spaced axially extending upper and lower slits 97 and 93, at the ends of the circumferential slit 99, are initially of sufficient circumferential extent so that when the structure is actuated, they tend to close, but will not completely close in such a manner as would stop or interfere with closing or contraction of the sleeve.

Arranged above and about the exterior of the sleeve and slidably engaged in the body is an actuating ring 100 which ring has a lower cone portion 101 to engage about the upper portion of the sleeve, a central portion defining the downwardly disposed annular shoulder 101 to engage the top of the sleeve, and an upper slip carrying portion 102 having an upwardly divergent or conical bore 103 in which a split ring 104 having a wickered casing engaging bore 105 and a downwardly convergent exterior 106 is slidably engaged. The split wickered ring 104 allows the lower section 93 of the casing to slide upwardly therethrough, but is such that upon downwardly shifting of said casing relative to the tool, as results when the upper section is elevated, the ring grips the casing and is drawn downwardly in the conical bore 103 of the actuating ring. This urges the wickered ring into tight gripping and holding engagement with and about the lower casing section. Upon further downwardly shifting of the lower casing section, the actuating ring is urged downwardly relative to the packing sleeve 94 and the sleeve is urged into sealing engagement about the casing section in essentially the same manner as the packing ring engages and seals with the casing in the first form of the invention.

In the second form of the invention now under consideration, the exterior of the actuating ring is provided with an annular sealing ring receiving groove 107 in which a sealing ring 168 is engaged to seal with the bore 91 of the body.

The body 90 is further provided with an annular downwardly disposed upper stop shoulder 109, which shoulder occurs above the other elements of the construction and prevents vertical displacement of said other elemehts from within the body.

It is to be noted that when my new packer sleeves are acted upon by the cone portions of the actuating rings, the wedging action of the cones, by virtue of the placement of the opposing sealing surfaces in the rings, eifectively urges said surfaces into tight sealing engagement with each other and that since the inside and outside surfaces of the sleeves seal with their opposing parts or elements of the tools and casings, a positive seal is established. Fluid entering the free gaps in the rings does not adversely affect the constructions, as no communication is established between the circumferentially spaced free gaps, by the closed and sealed circumferentially extending slits.

Referring again to the first form of the invention, after the tool has been set, it is common practice to set the liner in the well bore, by a suitable gravel packing operation. As a result of setting the liner in the well bore, it will be apparent that in the event the well structure is thermally treated, and the liner is caused to expand longitudinally, the liner will shift a limited distance longitudinally of and relative to the lower end of the set casing. When such relative movement occurs, the packing sleeve is not adversely affected, but will slide relative to and on the bore of the casing without destroying the seal established therebetween.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided a novel and improved packer sleeve construc tion which is highly effective and dependable, especially in situations where high temperatures are encountered and where axial movement or shifting of the seal may be encountered.

Having described only typical preferred forms and applications of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any modifications and/or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art and which fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A packer construction to seal the annulus between a pair of axially aligned inter-engaged tubular members including a tubular body engaged with one of the members and having an annular axially disposed first stop shoulder, an elongate, annular packer sleeve of malleable and ductile metal adjacent the body and having one end stopped against the stop shoulder, said sleeve having a straight, cylindrical sealing surface opposing the other member and normally spaced radially therefrom, and having an elongate tapered surface on its side adjacent the body and extending longitudinally from the other end of the sleeve, an annular actuating ring having a sec-nd stop shoulder opposing and engageable with said other end of the sleeve and having an axially extending expander portion with a conical surface projecting axially between the body and the sleeve, said sleeve having a circumferentially extending slit of limited circumferential extent position in the sleeve bet-ween the opposite ends of the tapered surface thereof and defining axially disposed, opposing sealing surfaces and having circumferentially spaced, axially extending slits communicating with the opposite ends of the circumferential slit, one axial slit extending to one end and the other axially extending slit extending to the other end of the sleeve, and actuating means related to the actuating ring to urge said ring axially towards the sleeve and the first stop shoulder whereby said expander portion of the ring urges the sleeve radially into sealing engagement with the expander portion of the actuating ring and said other member and compacts the sleeve axially between the stop shoulders and the sealing faces into tight sealing engagement with each other.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 including, sealing means between the actuating ring and the body.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 1 including, sealing means between the actuating ring and the body, including an annular, radially opening groove in the body opposing the ring and an annular sealing member in the groove to seal with and between the body and the ring.

4. A structure as set forth in claim 1 including, said expander portion being less in longitudinal extent than the sleeve and of greater longitudinal extent than the tapered surface of the sleeve, the min-or diameters of the tapered surface of the sleeve and the expander portion of the ring being equal and the major diameter of the expander portion of the ring is greater than the major diameter of the tapered surface of the sleeve.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 1 including, said expander portion being less in longitudinal extent than the sleeve and of greater longitudinal extent than the tapered surface of the sleeve, the minor diameters of the tapered surface of the sleeve and the expander portion of the ring being equal and the major diameter of the expander portion of the ring is greater than the major diameter of the tapered surface of the sleeve, said structure further including sealing means between the actuating ring and the body.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 1 including, said expander portion being less in longitudinal extent than the sleeve and of greater longitudinal extent than the tapered surface of the sleeve, the minor diameters of the tapered surface of the sleeve and the expander portion of the ring being equal and the major diameter of the expander portion of the ring is greater than the major diameter of the tapered surface of the sleeve, said structure further including sealing means between the actuating ring and the body, including an annular, radially opening groove in the body opposing the ring and an annular sealing member in the groove to seal with and between the body and the ring.

7. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein, said body is engaged with the inner member, said first shoulder projects radially outwardly from the body and said sleeve is engaged about the body and is adapted to seal with the interior of the outer member.

8. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein, said body is engaged with said outer member, said first shoulder projects radially inwardly and said sleeve is engaged within the body and is adapted to seal about the exterior of the inner member.

9. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein, said body is engaged with the inner member, said first shoulder projects radially outwardly from the body and said sleeve is engaged about the body and is adapted to seal with the interior of the outer member, said structure further including sealing means between the actuating ring and the body, including an annular, radially opening groove in the body opposing the ring and an annular sealing member in the groove to seal with and between the body and the ring.

10. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein, said body is engaged with said outer member, said first shoulder projects radially inwardly and said sleeve is engaged within the body and is adapted to seal about the exterior of the inner member, said structure further including sealing means between the actuating ring and the body, including an annular, radially opening groove in the body opposing the ring and an annular sealing member in the groove to seal with and between the body and the ring.

11. A packer assembly comprising an elongate vertically disposed tubular body having a central flow passage and a straight cylindrical exterior, an elongate tubular packer cage having upper and lower ends engaged about the body to engage a supporting member at its upper end, said cage having a straight, cylindrical bore establishing sliding bearing engagement with the exterior of the body throughout the longitudinal extent of the cage, the lower end of the cage being formed with a shoulder in a plane transverse the longitudinal axis of the cage and extending axially therefrom, the wall of the cage being formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending and circumferentially arranged slotted openings between its upper and lower ends and defining a plurality of longitudinally extending circumferentially arranged segmental wall portions establishing sliding bearing support about a portion of the body, an elongate, vertically disposed tubular deformable packer sleeve engaged about and carried by the gauge and being of a thickness normally represented by the major outside diameter of the cage, said packer sleeve having an elongate downwardly convergent conical bore in its upper portion and having a circumferentially extending slit of limited circumferential extent arranged between the opposing ends of the tapered bore and defining axially disposed opposed sealing surfaces and having circumferentially spaced axially extending slits communicating with the opposite ends of the circumferential slit, one axial slit extending to the upper end of the sleeve and the other extending to the lower end of the sleeve, an actuating ring at the upper end of the cage having an outside diameter agreeing with the outside diameter of the packer sleeve in its normal position, an inside diameter agreeing with the outside diameter of the cage and having a downwardly convergent expander cone depending therefrom and projecting into the conical bore in the sleeve, said expander cone being greater in longitudinal extent than the conical bore and having a major diameter greater than the major diameter of said conical bore, said expander cone terminating below the lower ends of the slotted openings in the cage, said ring carrying lugs which extend through the slotted openings, said lugs being fixed to the 'body, whereby downward pressure upon the body and the ring will act against the sleeve to urge the cone axially in the tapered bore and expand the sleeve radially and circumferentially and will act upon the upper end of the sleeve to compact the sleeve axially and urge the sealing surfaces of the sleeve into tight sealing engagement, and an annular radially outwardly opening groove in the cage below the slotted opening and an annular sealing member in the groove and sealing between the cage and the interior of the ring, and sealing means carried by the lower end of the cage to engage and seal with the body, said sealing means including a down- Wardly opening socket in the lower end of the cage, an annular packing ring in the socket engaging the body and a follower nut threadedly engaged in the socket to engage and retain the packer ring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 503,723 8/ 1893 Longstreth 277120 801,959 10/1905 Badeker 2771l8 3,282,346 11/1966 Claycomb 2771l6.6

FOREIGN PATENTS 15,857 1885 Great Britain.

LAVERN E D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

JEFFREY S. MEDNICK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PACKER CONSTRUCTION TO SEAL THE ANNULUS BETWEEN A PAIR OF AXIALLY ALIGNED INTER-ENGAGED TUBULAR MEMBERS INCLUDING A TUBULAR BODY ENGAGED WITH ONE OF THE MEMBERS AND HAVING AN ANNULAR AXIALLY DISPOSED FIRST STOP SHOULDER, AND ELONGATE, ANNULAR PACKER SLEEVE OF MELLEABLE AND DUCTILE METAL ADJACENT THE BODY AND HAVING ONE END STOPPED AGAINST THE STOP SHOULDER, SAID SLEEVE HAVING A STRAIGHT, CYLINDERICAL SEALING SURFACE OPPOSING THE OTHER MEMBER AND NORMALLY SPACED RADIALLY THEREFROM, AND HAVING AN ELONGATE TAPERED SURFACE ON ITS SIDE ADJACENT THE BODY AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FROM THE OTHER END OF THE SLEEVE, AN ANNULAR ACTUATING RING HAVING A SECOND STOP SHOULDER OPPOSING AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID OTHER END OF THE SLEEVE AND HAVING AN AXIALLY EXTENDING EXPANDER PORTION WITH A CONICAL SURFACE PROJECTING AXIALLY BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE SLEEVE, SAID SLEEVE HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING SLIT OF LIMITED CIRCUMFERENTIAL EXTENT POSITIONED IN THE SLEEVE BETWEEN THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE TAPERED SURFACE THEREOF AND DEFINING AXIALLY DISPOSED, OPPOSING SEALING SURFACES AND HAVING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED, AXIALLY EXTENDING SLITS COMMUNICATING WITH THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL SLIT, ONE AXIAL SLIT EXTENDING TO ONE END AND THE OTHER AXIALLY EXTENDING SLIT EXTENDING TO THE OTHER END OF THE SLEEVE, AND ACTUATING MEANS RELATED TO THE ACTUATING RING TO URGE SAID RING AXIALLY TOWARDS THE SLEEVE AND THE FIRST STOP SHOULDER WHEREBY SAID EXPANDER PORTION OF THE RING URGES THE SLEEVE RADIALLY INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EXPANDER PORTION OF THE ACTUATING RING AND SAID OTHER MEMBER AND COMPACTS THE SLEEVE AXIALLY BETWEEN THE STOP SHOULDERS AND THE SEALING FACES INTO TIGHT SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER. 